Tips and Tricks for Growing Out Your Hair

***Heavy Sigh***

Okay, folks… I’m wallowing in failure right now, and I’ll tell you why… I CUT MY HAIR AGAIN!!! D8/

I know! I know! I was supposed to grow it out! But to be fair, I had (and have) a LOT of split ends! And I only cut about 3 inches off… Still, I’m feeling lots of shame at the moment. SO! As inspiration to myself and some guidance for you all if you’re trying to grow out your hair, here are a few tips and tricks for growing out your hair.

#1) DO NOT CUT IT!!! x(
Well… An initial cut -as in my case- might be necessary if you have a lot of split ends. Also, I’ve noticed that if you cut it just a little, it seems to stimulate growth, but other than that, there is NO EXCEPTION to this rule! DON’T CUT IT!

#2) Use special shampoos and deep conditioners. They exist! Try Pantene Pro-V’s “Beautiful Lengths” shampoo. It’s specially formulated to stimulate hair growth, hydrate, and strengthen hair so that it’ll grow faster. I’ve been using Pantene Pro-V’s split-end repair shampoo and conditioner… but honestly, I think the shampoo isn’t really that great. If I didn’t have a huge bottle to use up, I would switch to the “beautiful lengths” kind. The split-end repair conditioner, on the other hand, is AMAZING. It’s protein enriched, so it really makes your hair feel great after use.

#3)Deep Conditioners & Oils. I finally bought some Argan Oil Styling Cream from Sally’s. It’s about $10 a bottle, and it works pretty good. Honestly, I don’t think it’s really helping my hair as much as the oil, but it smells pretty good anyway.

#4) Diet! BEANS, EGGS, CHICKEN, AND DAIRY PRODUCTS HELP HAIR GROW! The beans, eggs, and chicken contain protein; and the dairy products contain calcium; both of which are fantastic aids to hair growth! 🙂

#5) Don’t heat-treat your hair! If you heat-treat it, you’ll get split ends, strip your hair of moisture, and cause it to fry! This will prevent growth, but ALSO… do you really want a head full of COURSE, UGLY hair??? I’ve been refraining from using any sort of hotplates like straightening irons and curling irons, but I HATE looking ugly, and my hair is VERY ugly if it’s unruly; so instead of using hotplates, I’ve been using my hairdryer and different types of brushes (the small cylindrical metal brush for hair close to the roots, and a large flat paddle brush for the length of hair). If you get the right technique down, you can straighten your hair without using a straightening iron -and with minimal heat damage.

Well, I hope these tips and trips helped! Stay tuned for my next post about hairstyles that DO NOT require heat! 😀

Peace ❤

Play the Part

So! I just returned from a month’s stay in South America, and I couldn’t be more pleased to see that my blog has grown to quite the large audience, even with the lack of posts.

Today I decided I needed a change, so I cut about 3 inches off my hair. BUT. That wasn’t enough. I was still missing something… In a previous post, I mentioned that a good way to switch things up is to change your bangs. I played a little with which direction my bangs would go, but ultimately decided on a straight part. Since my bangs have grown out, I no longer have any defining boundary for my bangs.

I have a very small head with an oval face-shape. (To determine your face shape, see the image below)

There are many “parts” you can use to enhance (or possibly detract) from your own natural beauty. Also, long/short hair makes a big difference here.

Side Part – I personally hate to see straight bangs with a side part. It bothers me because it takes the symmetry out of a simple straight cut. I think side parts work best with layered haircuts. (The long bang accentuates layered hair, and if it’s short hair, the long bang gives it more character in my opinion.)

Straight Part – Edgy. Sophisticated. Unique. With all the pop-icons going with side bangs, it’s pretty rare to see many people sporting a straight bang (and I personally admire those who do ;)). Anyway, you don’t want to go with a straight bang if you have a long face, as straight bangs tend to make the face appear longer.

Really, you should choose whichever look you like best, but if you do and it doesn’t match the “criteria” I just mentioned, find a way to pull it off! If you’re really skinny, make sure your hair has lots of volume so that you make an impression in front of people. If you’re really curvy, accentuate your curves and go with side bangs. If you have nice cheekbones, go with a shorter cut (I think I might be bloggin’ on a pixie cut soon *ear-to-ear-grin*). You know yourself better than anyone, and you probably spend more time looking at yourself than anyone else, so you should be able to deduct which part fits your personality better. Seriously, just play around with it! If you have some girlfriends, get them together and ask what they think -just don’t let them be mean… confidence is not so easy to rebuild, but it’s the most important to sustain. Good luck! And keep reading! I want to see these numbers DOUBLE next week! 😀 Peace.

XIV. How to Fake a New Haircut

Well, I was debating over orgasm-jokes for this how-to on “faking it,” but unfortunately, I’m too tired to be creative today. Anyway, if you’re looking for a change of style and you’re tired of the same you day-in and day-out, I would suggest a fake haircut! ^_^

This hairstyle only works with Asian mullets and drastic layers. Yesterday, after I dyed my hair, I razored the shit out of my hair because after heavy bleaching, I knew I was bound to have some major split ends. Anyway, so now I have extremely drastic layering, so this style fits me perfectly.

1)Using your thumbs, gently trace a halo into your hairline starting at the ears, working horizontally until your thumbs touch.

2)Pull top layer up into a clip, and begin braiding the bottom layer.

3)Form bottom layer into a flat bun against your head. Secure with bobbies or mini-clips.

4)Pull the top layer down and trim any hairs that are out of place or too long.

5)You can choose to either leave it straight or curl it. I prefer curling it because curling a)makes it even shorter, so it’s all-the-more drastic, and b)hides the braided bottom layer MUCH better.

Finished result:

Have fun receiving new-haircut compliments all day! xD

VI. Rocker-Chick

Well, I was gonna call this look the “Christmas Tree” or maybe “SOS” but then decided to call it something a little nicer instead of hurting my hair’s feelings. Anyway, this style says: “I don’t care that I just rolled out of bed; I can rock any look!”

1)Okay, to achieve this style, wash it, gel it, dry it.

2)Separate your top hair from your bottom hair, pulling the top up with a clip. Straighten the bottom layer completely. (You may choose to swoop the hair outward, but this will make your head look like a Christmas tree… and that’s a personal choice).

3)Take the hair up in the straightener, and gently pull it outward (keeping it horizontal with your eyes) all the way around your head in different spots. Smaller chunks are better. Spray after each addition to get definition between sections. I find that working downward from top to bottom is easiest because the top layers curl upward, revealing the lower layers that need to be curled. Also, if you aren’t so into the “freshly electrocuted” look, you can -as I have- choose to curl some chunks downward to keep the style from being too overwhelming to onlookers.

4)Side-Bangs are a very simple way to make yourself appear 10x more beautiful with minimal effort. Work it!

Aaaaaand… now you’re a looker. Sport your new style with pride!  😉

Peace ❤

IV. Red-Carpet Curls

Admit it! You’ve always wondered how to get those beautiful flowy, wavy curls that always seem to grace the red carpet. Well, look no further! San will show you how it’s done.

1) After a wash, gel-it, dry it, brush it.

Okay, this may sound a little strange, but this style was actually created with a hair straightener! It’s really all about technique.

2) First, I separated my top hair from my bottom hair, curling the bottom first by taking a small strand of hair into the straightener, twisting the straightener all the way to the other side (180 degree twist), and pulling slowly to the side. Repeat until all strands have been efficiently curled. (This can be a little difficult). Once finished, let the top layer down and repeat this step.

3)Finish with spray, and -if you want- texture paste (I did not use texture paste, but this would give you more of a wind-blown beach look if you’re leaning toward that style). And presto! You’re hot now! ^_^

III. Pachycephalosaurus Braids

Yes, you thought right. This braided hairstyle was inspired by the beautiful but deadly Pachycephalosaurus. It’s an easy style that can be obtained in a few simple steps.

Note: Before I began, I texturized my hair by teasing it with a comb and some hairspray.

1) Pull the bangs back and twist into a “Gwen Stefani” bang. Yes, it’s stupid, but it totally works with this hairstyle.

2) Part the hair evenly down the center, and reverse-French-braid both sides. Personally, I have great difficulty French braiding my own hair, and I ALWAYS end up reversing the braid, but a reverse braid is necessary for this style.

3)Pull each braid across the other to form an “X,” then use bobby-pins  to pin each braid in place (as shown). Tuck any loose ends, finish with spray, and rock your dino-sheik!

Peace ❤

II.Spikey Pony

Alright! Style #2: The Spikey Pony

***Shorter hair works best for this do***

If you’re like me and you LOVE LOVE LOVE spikey-do’s, it’s a little bit of a let-down if you have long hair; but sob no more! There is a way to get the spiked look without chopping off your luscious locks, and that’s by making what I like to call the “spikey pony.” (Or you could put a zillion bobby pins in your hair, but we’ll save that for another day). 😉

1)Tease the mop-top, spraying with hairspray or spiker for a little more volume. Teasing is super-important if you have hair like mine [i.e., flat and lifeless], so don’t skip this step.

2)Pull the hair back into a regular pony tail. Then, take a hair parter (or rat-tail comb) and split a part down the center of the pony, creating a hole in the center of the pony. Then, pull the hair up through the bottom of the hole in an inverted-pony tail. Use spiker, ICE blaster, and styling waxes to separate and stand-up spikes. Note: I was pressed for time and did not shape many individual spikes, so if you want your hair to look all-out crazy-awesome, give yourself enough time.

3)Comb down side-bangs and burns, straighten with a flat-iron. Fluff up with styling wax. Note: Layered bangs are way easier to fluff up.

And VOILA! You’ve created a spikey-pony! Congrats! Fluff it, tease it, crazy-it-up, and you’ve got a super-awesome do! Enjoy it!

Peace ❤

I. The Cut

Nearly all of the styles I will post to this blog will have been created from my own hair, so I have posted a photo of my cut. This is a basic “Asian mullet” (where the top is cut  into short, choppy layers, but the bottom is straight and long). This is a new look for me, so I am still breaking it in and learning the ropes, but really, the possibilities are endless. You can see that the shortest layers stop at about mid-ear level (although some prefer to take it shorter). I like this style because my hair is super-fine, so having layers up top allow for more volume, and more volume tends to frame the face a little better in my experience. If you’re confident enough in yourself to cut it solo, go for it; but if you are worried about taking too much off, go to a salon. In a month or two, I will post a tutorial on how to get this particular cut and shape. A lot of people like to have the back taper downward from the sides, but I prefer to have it cut straight-across at the bottom because if I had tapered it, the front hairs would hang ragged over my shoulders, and I don’t like that look. Anyway, this is it. Bam.

Peace ❤